In the past, successfully managing diabetes meant filling notebooks with blood glucose readings and calorie measurements. While people with diabetes still need to keep track of these statistics and other information, doing so has become much simpler over time. These days, one of the most critical tools in your diabetes management journey is your smartphone. Recent research shows that apps designed for people with diabetes can help you lose weight and reduce your average blood sugar levels.
With that in mind, it’s not surprising that there are a mind-boggling number of diabetes apps available for both iPhone and Android devices. If you’re trying to simplify your options for diabetes management apps, keep reading for our recommendations.
What to Look for In Apps for Diabetes
When you’re just starting to explore the world of diabetes apps, an ideal first step can be learning what works with the equipment you already have. All kinds of diabetes devices – such as insulin pumps, glucose meters, and continuous glucose monitors – have companion apps allowing them to connect to your smart device. By downloading these apps, you can unlock your equipment’s full potential.
Beyond that, you’ll want to think about how comfortable you are with modern technology. Some of the best diabetes apps are notable for their large number of features, making them perfect for people who want as much diabetes information as possible. On the other hand, that very depth can make them confusing to people who aren’t particularly tech-savvy.
Are you looking for more personalized guidance? Talking to a certified diabetes care and education specialist might be wise. When you let one of these specialists know what you need from a diabetes app, they can use Danatech (a site that lists knowledgeable reviews of these apps) to help.
Our Number-One Diabetes App
Medical ID
Apple Rating: N/A (pre-stalled on iPhone) Android Rating: 4.6 Free
In an emergency situation, you need a way to provide medical information to first responders as quickly as possible – especially if you have diabetes. Falling into a diabetic coma will prevent you from responding to any questions emergency personnel may have.
Having a medical ID on your phone is an ideal way to make this information accessible when it’s needed most. iPhones include these profiles as part of their standard Health app, while this app provides similar functionality to Android users. With Medical ID, you can list everything first responders may need to know (from your medical contacts to your blood type and allergies) and make it accessible from your device’s lock screen.
Apps for Tracking Food and Exercise
MyFitnessPal
Apple Rating: 4.7 Android Rating: 4.5 Free (In-App Purchases Available)
Few health apps are more popular than MyFitnessPal, and for good reason. With this app, you’ll find it easier than ever to track what you eat. Along with a database of 14 million food items, it boasts a barcode scanner and a feature called “Meal Scan” (which allows users to use their phone camera to log entire meals automatically).
Unlike some of the diabetes apps on this list, MyFitnessPal isn’t explicitly designed for people with diabetes. Still, this app is a powerful way to track what you eat and how often you work out. For extra features, like setting calorie goals for individual meals and workouts, upgrade to MyFitnessPal Premium.
Fooducate
Apple Rating: 4.7 Android Rating: 4.4 Free (In-App Purchases Available)
Just about every student knows how grades work – an A means you’re doing great, while a D means you need to improve. But what if you could extend this logic to deciding what to eat? That’s the premise behind Fooducate, an app that lets you scan food items to determine if they earned an A, B, C, or D in health benefits.
Fooducate’s database is smaller than MyFitnessPal’s, and it’s less focused on exercise than other apps out there. Still, its central metaphor offers users a simple way to understand how healthy or unhealthy certain foods are. That makes this app perfect for people who are new to diabetes management.
Apps for Tracking Blood Glucose
mySugr
Apple Rating: 4.6 Android Rating: 4.5 Free (In-App Purchases Available)
mySugr isn’t coy about its mission – the app’s motto is “we make diabetes suck less.” Just don’t let its sense of humor and quirky aesthetic fool you. This is a highly effective app for diabetes management that comes with a ton of features.
In the base app, you’ll get A1C estimates, medication and meal tracking, carb intake, and Apple Health integration – among other capabilities. Upgrading to the pro subscription will let you do even more. As a pro user, you can set reminders to check your blood sugar and calculate insulin doses, meal shots, and corrections.
Most of the apps listed here are meant to help anyone with diabetes. That’s not quite the case for OneTouch Reveal, since it’s designed to work with the OneTouch Verio Flex and the OneTouch Verio Reflect blood glucose meters. But if you do use a OneTouch meter, this app is a must-have.
With OneTouch Reveal, you’ll be able to take the data from your compatible glucose meter to the next level. The app can look for patterns in your readings and figure out when you should look out for overly high or low blood sugar levels. You can also share data with your healthcare team in the form of 14-day, 30-day, or 90-day summaries. Best of all, the OneTouch Reveal app is completely free – no upgrades required.
Diabetes Connect
Apple Rating: 4.7 Android Rating: 4.4 Free (In-App Purchases Available)
As we mentioned earlier, not everyone needs or wants the most comprehensive diabetes app on the market. If you aren’t entirely comfortable with smartphones or just don’t feel the need to track every possible diabetes-related statistic, Diabetes Connect may be just what you’re looking for.
Diabetes Connect is a straightforward app designed to help you track your blood glucose, insulin and other medications, and food intake. Intriguingly, this app lets users turn unused or unneeded features off, hiding them to simplify its interface. Along with that, Diabetes Connect syncs data across devices and can create easy-to-read graphs of diabetes stats.
Diabetes Apps for Data Management
Glucose Buddy
Apple Rating: 4.8 Android Rating: 4.0 Free (In-App Purchases Available)
When you really think about it, who doesn’t want a Glucose Buddy? This app certainly lives up to its name, offering all the features you could want from a diabetes app. A comprehensive food database, bar code scanning, and integration with Apple Health and Dexcom are all here.
Glucose Buddy doesn’t do everything for free – you’ll need to pay to use its A1C calculator (and remove ads). But that doesn’t detract from the app’s strengths, making it a true “buddy” for anyone dealing with diabetes.
Diabetes Tracker by MyNetDiary (Apple)/MyNetDiary’s Diabetes and Diet Tracker (Android)
First of all, don’t worry about the name – these are two different versions of the same app. What’s more important is how impressive this app is. You’ll be able to track any diabetes-related data point you can think of: blood glucose, insulin and medications, exercise (including GPS tracking), meals, and more. You can even log your water intake!
Of course, all that functionality comes with a price. Unlike any other app listed here, MyNetDiary’s offering isn’t free – you’ll need to pay about $10 to get started. On top of that, there’s a subscription for bonuses like fitness tracker/smart scale synchronization. But if you don’t mind paying up, it’s hard to go wrong with this app.
Frequently Asked Questions About Diabetes Apps
Which Diabetes App Is Best?
With so many options available today, it’s impossible to choose one app as the “best diabetes app” for everyone. We listed Medical ID as an app everyone should have since it lets users share essential medical data in critical situations. Beyond that, you’ll need to explore the apps listed here and think about which ones may be well-suited to your own needs.
Is My Diabetes App Free?
Almost every app listed here is free to download. In fact, MyNetDiary’s app is the only one that will require you to take out your credit card right away.
The majority of apps on this list offer extra functionality behind a paywall. For the most part, though, you’ll still be able to take care of the basics without paying extra.
What Is The Best Carb-Counting App for People with Diabetes?
Again, this is a situation where you’ll need to look at what’s available and consider what would be a good fit for you. For example, mySugr offers all kinds of features that can be helpful to people with diabetes – but if you just need the basics, Diabetes Connect may be the better option. Aside from Medical ID, however, most of the apps featured here offer carb-counting tools in some capacity.
Manage Diabetes With These Apps – And ADS
Not every diabetes app is suitable for everyone, but there’s sure to be a diabetes app that’s right for you. Hopefully, this list will help you take the first step when it comes to using technology to track your food intake, glucose levels, and more!
In addition to these apps, why not use your smartphone to simplify other aspects of living with diabetes? When you order insulin, glucose meters, diabetes testing supplies, and other products online from ADS, you’ll benefit from our fast shipping and attention to customer service. The supplies you need are just a tap away!
It’s no overstatement to say that diabetes can have a significant impact on your overall health. If you’ve been diagnosed with this condition, you’ll need to change your diet and set up an exercise routine to keep it under control. Otherwise, you’ll be at risk of short-term symptoms like extreme hunger and thirst and frequent urination. That’s not even mentioning long-term complications such as heart disease, nerve damage, and vision problems.
These effects of diabetes are relatively well-known, but you might not know that diabetes can affect the quality of your sleep. Whether you tossed and turned through the night or slept like a baby before your diabetes diagnosis, keep reading for crucial info on diabetes and sleep.
The Link Between Diabetes and Sleep
We’ve known that diabetes can impact people’s sleep for at least a decade now. In 2012, a research team looked into connections between sleep disturbances (including difficulties falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, and oversleeping) and diabetes. Their research found a clear link between the two and made it clear that sleep deprivation can be a diabetes risk factor.
Even if you have diabetes, your sleep may or may not be affected by the disease. That’s because the impact diabetes can have on rest is tied to symptoms that not everyone experiences. These symptoms are more likely to affect your rest:
People with high blood sugar levels may need to urinate more frequently than usual. As a result, they might have to wake up to go to the bathroom during the night.
Excess blood glucose can drain water from your tissues. That can make you dehydrated, meaning you might need to get up and get a glass of water late at night.
Low blood sugar symptoms can affect your sleep, too. These symptoms include sweating, shaking, and dizziness.
Sleep Disorders in People with Diabetes
In addition to the impact these symptoms can have on your sleep schedule, certain sleep disorders are seen more commonly in people with diabetes. These include:
Sleep Apnea
When you have sleep apnea, your breathing repeatedly stops and starts multiple times per night. This is the most common sleep disorder for people with diabetes – particularly type 2 diabetes, as it can be exacerbated by excess weight.
Symptoms of sleep apnea include snoring and daytime sleepiness. Common risk factors are obesity and a family history of sleep apnea. To manage this condition, you may need to use a CPAP (a special mask) and weight loss can help, as well.
Restless Leg Syndrome
As its name suggests, the defining trait of restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a relentless need to move your legs. Since it’s most common during the night, it can make falling asleep or staying asleep difficult.
Things like high blood glucose levels, thyroid disorders, and kidney problems can increase your RLS risk. It has been found that tobacco use or iron deficiency can also trigger the syndrome. If you think you might have RLS, let your healthcare team know.
Insomnia
If you have a rough time falling or staying asleep, there’s a good chance you have insomnia. High levels of glucose and stress can increase your likelihood of experiencing this condition.
To treat insomnia, start by considering sources of stress in your life and working from there. Professional medical advice can help you deal with insomnia, as well.
Improve Your Sleep with These Tips
While diabetes can affect your sleep, poor sleep can also make it more challenging to manage this disease. Not getting enough rest can affect your hormones and can increase the likelihood that you’ll overeat to gain energy. That can cause you to gain weight, making diabetes management more complicated – and potentially making your sleep problems even worse.
To avoid this vicious circle, you’ll need to do what you can to improve your sleep habits. A few simple steps can help:
Make an environment where it’s easy to sleep. If you haven’t bought a new mattress lately, it might be time for an upgrade. Along with that, keep your bedroom at a relatively cool temperature.
Don’t do anything stimulating before bed. That can include exercise, caffeinated drinks, and even basic housework. If you have to exercise at night, consider a slow yoga routine.
Set a sleep schedule and stick to it. By following this schedule all week long (including weekends), you’ll essentially train yourself to get tired when you need to sleep. Also, it is recommended to not take naps after 3 pm and for no longer than 20 minutes.
Consider using white noise. If outdoor noises can wake you up easily, white noise may help you tune them out. You can generate white noise by turning on a fan or downloading a white noise app for your smart device.
Cut out digital distractions. Texting and web browsing before bed can keep your mind active long after you put your phone down. Along with that, the glow from screens may wake you up. If you have to read something before bed, make sure it’s in a paper book or on an e-reader with an unlit e-ink screen.
Don’t drink before bed. Even if alcohol helps you unwind, it may wake you up in the middle of the night.
Monitor your blood sugar closely. By controlling your blood glucose levels, you’ll reduce diabetes symptoms and their effects on your sleep patterns. To do this, you’ll need a reliable glucose meter and other diabetes testing supplies. You can purchase all these items and more from ADS!
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March Is National Nutrition Month. Choosing nutritious foods and getting enough physical activity can make a significant difference in your health. For National Nutrition Month®, March 2020, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics encourages people to make informed food choices and develop sound eating and physical activity habits. This year’s theme, Eat Right, Bite by Bite, promotes eating a variety of nutritious foods every day, planning and creating healthful meals each week, and the value of consulting a registered dietitian nutritionist. Below is the National Nutrition Month quiz to test your nutrition knowledge.
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Successfully managing diabetes can be a formidable challenge at any time of the year, but the holiday season brings even more obstacles into the mix. Between busy schedules, high-calorie meals and beverages, even people who take diabetes management seriously can have trouble keeping their management under control.
But while diabetes control can become more difficult as the year comes to a close, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. In this article, we’ll share some valuable tips on how to stay healthy while enjoying the holiday season to the fullest.
Stay Healthy During the Holidays with These 6 Tips
1. Remember Portion Control
When you’re at an office party or visiting family members, you won’t be able to control what foods are on the menu. Because of this, it’s imperative to do what you can to avoid throwing your blood sugar out of balance. Portion control is a wonderful way to accomplish this goal – by only taking small amounts of fatty, high-carb foods, you’ll be able to taste them without the drawbacks.
On the other hand, you might find it tempting to avoid eating before a holiday party so you can “make up for it” by eating larger portions later. That is never a good idea since it significantly increases your risk of overeating. Instead, make sure to get some healthy protein and complex carbs before an event – even if it’s just a small snack like apple slices and natural peanut butter.
2. Take Time to Enjoy Your Food
The holiday season is closely associated with rich, flavorful foods you don’t get to eat during the rest of the year. That means you shouldn’t shovel down the dishes on your plate – try to truly savor each bite instead, especially if you’re eating controlled portions.
Eating slowly comes with health benefits for people living with Type 2 diabetes, too. People with type 2 diabetes who eat slowly are more likely to lose weight, according to a new study.
Scientists from Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, Japan found slower eating was linked with lower waist circumference and BMI.
They reviewed 59,717 people with type 2 diabetes between 2008 and 2013, with data collected from health checkups, including questions on their diet and lifestyle. One of these questions was how fast they rated their eating speed. A total of 21.5% of slow eaters were obese compared with 30% of those who ate at a normal speed, and 45% of fast eaters. Slow eaters also had a lower BMI compared to the other two groups.
As well as eating more slowly, those who didn’t snack after dinner and didn’t eat just before going to bed also had reduced BMI. Previous studies have also demonstrated benefits of eating slowly. Last year researchers reported that eating too fast could promote metabolic syndrome and obesity. The findings have been published in the journal BMJ Open.
3. Cut Calories with Chatter
Another great way to enjoy holiday parties without overeating is not to eat right away. Instead, ease into the event – grab a (low-sugar) drink and catch up with people you haven’t seen in a while. Chances are, renewing these connections will lift your mood while diverting your attention from what’s for dinner.
4. Keep Up on Your Diabetes Needs
No matter how busy you are during the holidays, you can’t afford to ignore the basics of diabetes management. Continue taking insulin and other medications as prescribed, along with checking your blood glucose levels regularly. In fact, you may want to check your blood sugar more often than usual at this time of year. That goes double for people who plan to adjust their insulin dose or drive a car.
5. Enjoy Alcohol in Moderation
From spiked eggnog at Christmas to champagne on New Year’s Eve, there’s no shortage of alcoholic beverages around during the holiday season. Many people with diabetes can continue to enjoy moderate amounts of alcohol – if they take a few simple steps first.
First of all, your diabetes needs to be under control before you drink. It’s also important not to drink on an empty stomach since alcohol can lower your blood sugar if you haven’t eaten recently. Some alcoholic drinks which are recommended for diabetes management include dry wines, light beer, and mixed drinks made without sugar.
6. Get Moving
It’s easy for anyone to overeat during the holiday season. Fortunately, the cure is simple – burn the extra fat or calories eaten with exercise! Even a brisk walk after your holiday meal can help you burn calories and lower your blood sugar.
Simple Substitutions Can Go a Long Way
Many of the tips listed above should help you when you’re attending someone else’s holiday event. However, if you’re hosting a party, you’ll have a higher level of control over what’s being served. These simple substitutions can help you deliver a diabetes-friendly menu that’s still delicious:
Swap out butter in favor of unsaturated oils, like olive or canola oil.
Use dairy substitutes like soy or nonfat/reduced-fat dairy.
Serve lean cuts of meat, and remove the skin on poultry.
Instead of frying menu items, bake, broil, or steam them.
Cut out egg yolks to lower fat and cholesterol.
Don’t season with fat – try herbs, spices, and tangy vegetables instead.
For appetizers, offer roasted vegetables, fruits, and reduced-fat cheeses.
Skip stuffing – as a substitute, serve grains like quinoa or wild rice.
Bake sweet potatoes on their skins and season with roasted garlic and herbs.
Try butternut or another winter squash as an alternative to potatoes.
Use puree and broth-based soups instead of cream-based soups.
Cut out sugar in your holiday recipes or replace it with diabetes-friendly sweeteners.
Avoid making extra gravies and sauces – they can come with hidden sugars and fat.
Make salads and vegetables a prominent part of your menu.
Enjoy the Holidays – ADS Can Help
While the holidays are a special time of year, you can’t truly appreciate them if you aren’t in good health. By following these steps, you’ll find it easier to manage your diabetes – and to focus on what truly matters.
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